Sunday, September 23, 2012

Thessaloniki urban cycle race

As part of the International Day Without Cars a large part of the centre of Thessaloniki was closed to traffic and people wandered along usually car clogged roads enjoying the change in pace.

Walking along the seafront, you had the impression that the city had become a holiday resort for the day, with people enjoying the sunshine and gently making their way past the cafes and bars.

The one exception to this was the cycle race in which hundreds of professional racers flew around the city and gave Thessaloniki a small taste of the Tour de France for an hour or so.

After that finished it was once more back to gentler rhythms as people signed up for the Popular Ride which was altogether a more laid back affair.

The beauty of the event was that so many were enjoying a break from the seemingly endless stream of bad news that has afflicted Thessaloniki over the last few years. For a day people strolled, laughed and left behind whatever was bothering them